Histone modifications associated with gene expression and genome accessibility are dynamically enriched at Plasmodium falciparum regulatory sequences

Jingyi Tang; Scott A Chisholm; Lee M Yeoh; Paul R Gilson; Anthony T Papenfuss; Karen P Day; Michaela Petter; Michael F Duffy

Journal article

Histone modifications associated with gene expression and genome accessibility are dynamically enriched at Plasmodium falciparum regulatory sequences

Jingyi Tang, Scott A Chisholm, Lee M Yeoh, Paul R Gilson, Anthony T Papenfuss, Karen P Day, Michaela Petter, Michael F Duffy

EPIGENETICS & CHROMATIN | BMC | Published : 2020

DOI: 10.1186/s13072-020-00365-5

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has an unusually euchromatic genome with poorly conserved positioning of nucleosomes in intergenic sequences and poorly understood mechanisms of gene regulation. Variant histones and histone modifications determine nucleosome stability and recruit trans factors, but their combinatorial contribution to gene regulation is unclear. RESULTS: Here, we show that the histone H3 acetylations H3K18ac and H3K27ac and the variant histone Pf H2A.Z are enriched together at regulatory sites upstream of genes. H3K18ac and H3K27ac together dynamically mark regulatory regions of genes expressed during the asexual life cycle. In contrast, H3K4me1 is deple..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Karen Day Author Microbiology and Immunology

Tony Papenfuss Author Medical Biology (w.e.h.i.)

Michael Duffy Author Microbiology and Immunology

Michaela Petter Author Microbiology and Immunology

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Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council grant number DP110100483 and the National Health and Medical Research Council grant number APP1128975. The funding bodies had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.